Andor consistently comes up when we talk about innovative shows with wider links to the Star Wars universe. This series uses Easter eggs to connect with the galaxy that fans love. Episode 4 is a prime example. In this episode, we see a suit of armor that looks familiar. It could be an Easter egg or have larger significance.
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Episode 4 of Andor
In the fourth episode, we get a solid look into Luther Rael’s antiquity shop. The episode centers on plans for the Aldhani heist but includes an insider’s view into Rael’s coverup operation.
As this video explains, we see what appears to be armor from the 2008 video game The Force Unleashed. Sith assassins wear this armor, with it melded into their skin and bones. Moreover, the armor connects with Galen Marek or Starkiller.
Hailing from Legends, Starkiller was secretly trained by Vader and featured in the video game for the dark side ending. By incorporating Starkiller’s Sith Stalker set into the episode, Andor appeared to be tapping into non-canon terrain. However, that detail has not been confirmed by Lucasfilm or Disney.
What does the appearance of this armor mean?
Starkiller Armor in Andor: An Easter Egg
After the apparent Starkiller armor in Episode 4, fan speculation about it arose. More recently, fans discussed this armor, but questions linger about whether it was a mere Easter egg or if it has greater significance.
Most of the evidence points to the idea that the armor is an Easter egg. Articles like this one take that perspective, dampening hopes that Starkiller would make it into canon. One reason is chronology: Starkiller’s story occurs “after the episodes of Andor in which the armor in question appears.”
That is an Easter egg makes sense, given that Episode 4 has plenty of them. References to the planet Mimban from Solo, the Rakata from the video game Knights of the Old Republic, and a Gungan energy shield are among the most notable. This last item was also in Rael’s shop, along with a Kashyyyk clarion and even Indiana Jones’s whip.
This article likewise reviews ten of the Easter eggs from Luthen’s shop. An Amidala-like headpiece, Mandalorian armor, and a Wookiee helmet are front and center in the gallery. So too is Starkiller’s helmet.
It makes sense that the inclusion of Starkiller’s armor and helmet are part of the background Easter eggs and not part of the foreground story.
Starkiller Armor in Andor: Storyline
However, we could make a counterclaim that some Easter eggs, including the armor, could have greater importance. Perhaps Starkiller or his armor will be integrated into the larger fabric of the galaxy.
This video explores the same Easter eggs from Episode 4 but frames many of them as Star Wars storylines. That Cassian, like Han Solo, served in the Imperial army on Mimban and deserted from it speaks to continuity. The episode also draws on the novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, for the origins of Mimban and kyber crystals. These connections to Legends raise possibilities of integrating non-canon material into Andor or another show.
So too, the episode connects with the Ryloth and the Twi’leks from Rebels and Scarif and Saw Gerrera from Rogue One. These links not only draw in tangible story elements but also show some cross-over to Legends. Gerrera originated from this terrain for the proposed Underworld series.
Season 1 of The Mandalorian, Episode 8, had previously included a reference to the possibility of Starkiller becoming canon. By including an Incinerator trooper from The Force Unleashed, we had a tie-back to this video game and Marek. And, the “compelling nature of the character” may push the story in this direction.
Although the timeline and trajectory of the character present challenges, it does not rule out an incorporation of Starkiller, or at least his armor, in the continuum of Star Wars.
The Armor in Andor
We can safely say that the armor featured in Andor was Starkiller’s. Most likely this was an Easter egg only, coinciding with other references included in the series. Yet, the possibility of Starkiller veering into canon remains an intriguing one.